Monday, August 21, 2017

Hand and a Half Swords – Excellence in Versatility

Hand-and-a-half swords developed around the mid-15th
century and were used well into the 16th century. They featured long handles
with “half-grips” and so could be wielded with one hand or two. The typically
tapered blades were longer than arming swords but did not possess the
double-hand grips of heavier war-swords. Perhaps because hand-and-a-half swords
did not legitimately belong to either of these sword “families,” they were also
known as bastard swords.

The blades might have been either flat or narrow for
fighting plate-armored opposition. While some were ideal for cutting, others
were good for thrusting. The handles featured "waist" and
"bottle" shapes for practical purposes. For instance, the
"waist" shape had a wider center and tapered towards the pommel,
enabling greater control of the weapon by one hand or two.

Hand-and-a-half
swords also made use of different techniques, some of which varied
appreciably. One technique was “pommeling” or “palming” where the palm of one
hand partially held the rounded pommel, facilitating greater reach. This style
was a complete opposite of another where the index finger of one hand wrapped
around the cross guard. The second technique helped to thrust the sword into
armor openings with better accuracy. But, it also exposed the fingers, leading
to the development of the compound hilt which protected the hand against
attacks by thrusting strokes.